Lakes

The Corps manages hundreds of lakes nationwide. Corps personnel work
diligently to focus the resources of these lakes to meet a wide variety
of purposes including generating power for homes and businesses; supplying
water for nearby communities; and providing wonderful recreational get-away spots for camping, fishing, boating, hiking and more. We also
strive to be good stewards of the environment in these areas.

A good example is Lake Lanier in Georgia where the Corps and others
are working hard to balance numerous, often competing goals. This beautiful
39,000-acre lake, which was an Olympic venue in 1996, was created by
the Corps in the 1950s as part of the development of Buford Dam. The
lake and dam meet many needs for the people living in the area. Each
year, more than 8 million people visit the 76 recreational areas surrounding
Lake Lanier, which include 46 parks operated directly by the Corps.

Lake Lanier also provides a home for numerous species of fish, wildlife
and plants, many of which are threatened or endangered, including the
southern bald eagle. Corps rangers regularly present water safety and
environmental awareness programs to thousands of school children at
the lake. Three hydroelectric power generators at the lake produce 86,000
kilowatts of clean, non-polluting energy, which is enough electricity
to supply 25,000 homes. This power is primarily used during peak times
when energy demands are high.

Lake Lanier also is the main source of water for drinking, industrial
and commercial uses in metropolitan Atlanta. The dam at the lake helps
control downstream waterflow on the Chattahoochee River, which enables
large boats and commercial barges to safely move goods up and down the
river. During times of heavy rainfall, the dam also holds back water,
preventing millions of dollars worth of flood damage and saving lives
downstream. Over the years, Lake Lanier has adapted to changing needs
and developed into a wonderful resource that provides a wide variety
of benefits for the people of Georgia.

As it has at Lake Lanier, Corps personnel work closely with nearby
communities, businesses and organizations at all the lakes it manages
to try to find the balance among various priorities that is appropriate
for that area. We also are working to implement a regional watershed approach that takes into consideration the effect changes at a lake
will have on nearby, related water resources such as rivers, wetlands and coasts.